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Roku explores taking over HDMI feeds with ads (www.lowpass.cc)

submitted 7 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

488 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Roku is exploring ways to show consumers ads on its TVs even when they are not using its streaming platform: The company has been looking into injecting ads into the video feeds of third-party devices connected to its TVs, according to a recent patent filing.

This way, when an owner of a Roku TV takes a short break from playing a game on their Xbox, or streaming something on an Apple TV device connected to the TV set, Roku would use that break to show ads. Roku engineers have even explored ways to figure out what the consumer is doing with their TV-connected device in order to display relevant advertising.

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 7 months ago (4 children)

Can you just not connect your Smart TV to the internet at all to bypass this? I never connect my Smart TVs to the internet, just my Apple TV since it’s my streamer platform. Seems like this would hamstring their ability to push ads.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 7 months ago (1 children)

If too many people do this, you bet "smart" TV peddlers will start bundling cellular modems on their devices, so they can connect directly to their servers without relying on your WiFi, just like car companies do. Blocking this would require enclosing the TV in a Faraday cage.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (2 children)

Blocking it would require a screwdriver, and a razor blade to cut some traces on the cellular modem.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 7 months ago

It's a shame sim cards aren't a thing anymore because how fun would it be to harvest them from some janky shit product like that and then make a bonded backup network with the data plans on the sims until the company figures it out.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 7 months ago

You would need to cut the antenna and then put a dummy load on it, disabling the modem would almost certainly give you errors that will probably make the TV unusable or break something you actually need for TV functions.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 7 months ago

It's entirely possible Roku would fill the ad space with a notice you should connect your TV to the internet.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Use a pi hole to filter that shit by DNS

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Unless tbey start doing DNS over HTTPS or TLS, in which case cut that thing off from any network connections whatsoever

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago

You ever see what an LG does to a Pihole block log? They try to phone home every minute.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 7 months ago

Probably, but also HDMI can carry ethernet as well.